Key statistics (Cervix uteri, ICD-10: C53)

Cancer incidence 2017–2021
Average number of new cases per year	184
Age-standardised incidence per 100 000 persons per year	6.5
Proportion of all cancers	1.1%
Risk of developing cancer during lifetime	0.5%
Average annual change in years 2012–2021	1.6%
Cancer mortality 2017–2021
Average number of deaths per year	52
Age-standardised mortality per 100 000 persons per year	1.7
Proportion of all cancer deaths	0.9%
Risk of dying from cancer during lifetime	0.2%
Average annual change in years 2012–2021	-2.0%
Cancer prevalence at the end of 2021
Number of people living with cancer diagnosis	3163
Number of people living with cancer per 100 000 persons	112.8
Relative survival 2017–2021
One year after diagnosis	89%
Five years after diagnosis	73%

Age-specific cancer incidence and mortality 2017–2021

Cancer incidence and mortality in 1953–2021 (age-standardised)

Cancer survival in 1962–2021 (age-standardised)

How to interpret the table and figures? (Cervix uteri)

Cancer incidence in 2017–2021

• On average 184 women were diagnosed with cancer each year
  • 1.1% of all new cancer cases in women
  • relative to population, 6.5 in 100,000 women were diagnosed with cancer each year (if the population’s age structure corresponded to Finland’s age structure in 2014).
• The risk of developing cancer was highest in women aged 35-39 years (see top figure)
  • 17 in 100,000 women developed cancer each year
• 0.5% of women develop cancer during their lifetime. This calculated estimate is based on the cancer incidence in 2017–2021.
• Over the last ten years, 2012–2021, the average risk of cancer
  • did not change statistically significantly

Cancer mortality in 2017–2021

• On average, 52 women died from cancer each year
  • 0.9% of all cancer deaths in women
• The risk of dying from cancer was highest in women aged 85 and over (see top figure)
  • 7 in 100,000 women died from cancer each year
• 0.2% of women die from cancer during their lifetime. This calculated estimate is based on the cancer mortality in 2017–2021.
• Over the last ten years, 2012–2021, the average risk of dying from cancer
  • did not change statistically significantly

Number of people living with breast cancer at the end of 2021

• 3163 women diagnosed with cancer were alive
  • 0.1% of women in Finland

Patient survival in 2017–2021

• The average survival of patients was
  • 89% one year after diagnosis
  • 73% five years after diagnosis

Learn more about cancer diseases on the website All about cancer.

Cervical cancer screening

Screening data
Screening age	30–69 years
Screening test	Pap test/HPV test
Screening interval	5 years
Invitations and examinations in age-group screening (2021)
Number of invitations	241,012
Number of examinations	175,034
Invitation coverage	99.9%
Participation	72.6%
Results and findings in age-group screening (2021)
Normal or negative test result	92.9%
Recommendation to	5.8%
Referral to	1.2%
Number of serious pre-cancers detected in screening (HSIL/AIS)	774
Number of cervical cancer cases detected in screening	38
Detection mode of cervical cancer in people of screening age (2017–2021)
By screening	30.9%
Between screening rounds	19.9%
In screening non-participants	47.4%
No screening invitation recorded	1.8%

Participation in screening

Screening test results (2017–2021)

Results of further examinations (2017–2021)

Summary

Screening programme

• Women aged between 30 and 65 are invited to cervical cancer screening every five years. Some Finnish municipalities also invite women aged 25.
• Depending on the municipality, the screening test is either a Pap test or an HPV test.

Screening statistics from 2021

• Some 241,000 screening invitations were sent, and approximately 175,000 women participated in screening.
• 99.9% of the target population were invited to screening, and 72.6% of those invited participated in screening.
• 92.9% of the participants received a normal test result at screening, 5.8% received a recommendation to risk-group screening after 1–2 years, and 1.2% were referred to further diagnostic examinations.
• Serious pre-cancers requiring treatment for cervical cancer were detected in 774 women and cervical cancer in 38 women in the screening programme.

Detection mode

• In 2017-2021, 74% of cervical cancer cases diagnosed in Finland were diagnosed in people of screening age and 23% in people older than screening age.
• Among people of screening age, 31% of cervical cancers were diagnosed at screening, 20% between screening rounds and 47% among screening non-participants.

Learn more about cervical cancer screening.

Terms and definitions used in the cancer statistics

Cancer incidence	The number of new cancer cases over a specific period of time (e.g. one calendar year) in the population. The incidence ratio is the number of cases per 100,000 persons per year. It is the number of new cases age-standardised to Finland’s age structure in 2014, i.e. in relation to the population, if the age structure of the population corresponded to the age structure in Finland in 2014. Gender differences or temporal changes in the age structure do not influence age-standardised incidence.
Cancer mortality	The number of deaths attributable to cancer over a specific period of time in the population. The mortality ratio is the number of deaths per 100,000 persons per year. It is the number of cancer deaths age-standardised to Finland’s age structure in 2014, i.e. in relation to the population, if the age structure of the population corresponded to the age structure in Finland in 2014. Gender differences or temporal changes in the age structure do not influence age-standardised mortality.
Ten-year development in incidence and mortality	Changes in the incidence and mortality of cancer were examined by comparing the average incidence and mortality rates per age group over the last ten years. The change percentage describes the average annual change in incidence and mortality rates per age group relative to the population. For example, a change percentage in incidence of +2% means an annual increase of 2 per cent, whereas –2% means an annual decrease of 2 per cent in age-standardised incidence.
People living with cancer (prevalence)	The number of people living with cancer in the population at the end of 2021. The prevalence proportion is the corresponding number in relation to the population.
Patient survival	The average survival of patients is measured by a relative survival ratio. It is an estimate of the proportion of patients who are alive after a certain period of time after diagnosis, if the cancer were the only factor affecting the mortality. The time series for patient survival has been age-standardised to the age distribution of patients diagnosed in Finland between 2017 and 2021, so that changes in the age structure do not affect the time series.

Terms and definitions used in the screening statistics

Invitation coverage	The proportion of invitation recipients of the registered target population for the screening.
Participation	The proportion of screening participants of those who received a screening invitation.
Detection mode	Diagnosed cancer cases among people of screening age have been classified in four categories based on data from the screening register: (1) cancers detected by screening, (2) cancers detected between screening rounds, (3) cancers detected in screening non-participants, and (4) cancers in people of screening age for whom no screening invitation has been recorded.
Normal or negative result	The next screening invitation is sent after the screening interval, if the person is still in the target group for screening.
Risk-group screening	The results of cervical cancer screening require monitoring, which means that the woman will be re-invited within 12 to 24 months.
Referral to further examinations	The result requires a referral to further examination, which in the case of cervical cancer screening means a colposcopy.
Classification of results from further examinations	Tissue samples taken in connection with a colposcopy are classified as follows: Cervical cancer: Includes invasive or microinvasive carcinoma of the cervix. AIS: adenocarcinoma in situ of the cervix HSIL: histological HSIL, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. LSIL: histological LSIL, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. Benign: normal or benign result. Other (includes the alternatives below): Other cancer: Non-cervical cancer (primary site other than the cervix). No biopsy: No tissue sample was taken in connection with the colposcopy. No data/invalid sample: No data is available on the result of the further examination or the sample is invalid. In most cases, data is missing if the person has sought private healthcare.